Mailing-tube.



G. D. HORTON.

Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

altoznup the appended claims.

able material. formed a longitudinally disposed slot 2,

UNITED STATES ATENT MAILING-TUBE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

Application filed August 12, 1909. Serial No. 512,553

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, GILBERT D. HORTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Snohomish, in the county of Snohomish and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mailing- Tubes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in mailin tubes.

One ob ect of the invention is to provide a tube of this character which is particu: larly adapted for mailing photograph prints. and which will also serve as a mounting and holder in which the rints will be entirely inclosed and protecte thus taking the place of an album.

Another object is to provide a device of this character which will be simple, strong, durable and inexpensive in construction, efficient and reliable in operation and well adapted to the purposes for which it is designed.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arran ement of parts, as will be more fully descri ed and particularly pointed out in the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of the tube, showing the same arranged for mailing; Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the fabric film hold- I 3 ing strip partially drawn out of the tube;

Fig. 3 1s a longitudinal section; Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the same. v

In the embodiment of the invention, I provide a tube 1, which may be of any suitable diameter and length and con-' structed of paste-board or any other suit- In one side of the tube is Which extends within a short distance of the opposite ends of the tube, as shown. In the ends of the tube are arranged and secured in any suitable manner closing disks or heads 3 which are preferably formed of wood but which may be constructed of any suitablematerial.

In the tube 1 is arranged a centrally disposed winding shaft 4, the ends of which are journaled in the heads 3 of the tube and one end of said shaft is extended through the head and is bent laterally at right angles and inwardly to form a crank 5, whereby the shaft is revolved. The outer end ortion of the shaft is bent into the form of an eye or loop to form a handle 6 to facilitate the operation of the crank to turn the shaft 4.

The outer sides of the heads 3 may be ornamented if desired, and are here shown as having formed therein an annular concentric groove or depression 7.

' If desired, the end of the crank may be bent down into the groove in the adjacent head of the tube so that the handle portion of the crank will not project so far beyond the end of the tube.

Secured at one end to the shaft 4, is a film holding strip 8- which may be formed of any suitable fabric and is adapted to be Wound on and off the shaft 4. The outer end of the strip projects through the slot 2 in the side of the tube and. on said. end is secured a fastener bar 9, which, when the film holding strip is woundup on the shaft, will lie across and practically close the slot in the side of the tube.

In the heads 3 of the tube, adjacent to each end of the slot, are arranged keepers 10 which are in the ,form of fiat staples, and when the strip 8 is wound up to raw the bar 9 into engagement with the slot 2, the

- ends of the bar are slipped into engagement with first one and then the other of the keepers, thereby securely fastening the bar in place over thev slot. When the parts are in this position, the device is ready for mailing or shippingipurposes without further wrapping or fastening devices.

The photograph prints or other objects to be mailed, are pasted or otherwise secured to one or both sides of the holding strip 8 and when rolled up on the shaft within the tube, will be completely inclosed and protected.

It will be readily seen that while the primary object of the invention is the production of a suitable mailing device for photograph prints and the like, that the device may be also readily employed as a holder for photograph prints and'the like and will take the album.

place. of a photograph- When it is desired to display the pictures or other objects on the holding strip, the bar 9 is disengaged from its keepers 10 by slipping the bar laterally in one direction until one end is disengaged from its keeper and then moving the bar in the opposite direction until the other end is disengaged, after which the strip may. be drawn outwardly through the slot 2 and unwound from the shaft 4 to the desired extent. In replacing the strip, the crank is revolved in the proper direction to wind the same up on the shaft, after which the fastening bar is engaged with the keepers in the manner as hereinbefore described.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanyin drawings, the construction and operation 0 the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Variohs changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A mailing tube having formed in one side a slot, heads to close the opposite ends of said tube, a winding shaft revolubly mounted in said heads, an operating handle on one end of said shaft, 2. film holding strip secured at one end to and adapted to be wound upon said shaft, a fastening bar seone end of said shaft, said handle being bent inwardly into engagement with the annular depression in the adjacent head of the tube, a fabric film holding strip secured to and adapted to be Wound upon said shaft, a bar secured to the outer end of said strip and adapted to close said slot when the strip is wound up on the shaft, and keepers arranged in the tube adjacent to each end of the slot to receive the opposite ends of said bar and hold the same in operative position to close the slot when the film holding strip is wound up on the shaft.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GILBERT D. HORTON. Witnesses H. C. CoMEGYs, F. J. KERNAN. 

